There he met George Rochester, a fellow student who was also determined to go to sea. George pursued a naval career while Wiki signed on to various whalers, jumping ship when the mood struck.

The year is now 1838. George is a passed midshipman (graduated from midshipman level but not yet commissioned) who has been given command of one of the vessels that make up the United States Exploring Expedition. The Expedition, commanded by Lieutenant Charles Wilkes, is headed for the South Seas to undertake scientific study and chart coastline and off-shore shoals. The ships’ company is made up of United States Navy men as well as civilian experts in diverse fields. George has hired his old friend Wiki, who is fluent in several languages, as his linguister.

One night shortly before the Expedition sails from Hampton Roads, Virginia, Wiki is waiting on the banks of the Elizabeth River. He sees a boat drifting past and then hears rifle shots. He believes he is being shot at and dives into the river. Reaching the boat, he sees the body of a woman inside. His suspicions are aroused, and he tows the boat to the river bank.

The dead woman is the wife of one of the astronomers who is to accompany the Expedition, Tristram Stanton. She had threatened suicide if her husband sailed with the Expedition, but it becomes apparent that she has been murdered. At first Wiki is arrested for the crime, but information educed at the Stanton house from Stanton’s father and house slaves points to his innocence. The sheriff orders him freed. He directs Wiki to pursue the murder investigation while onboard ship. The murder seems somehow tied to the personnel and mission of the Expedition.

This is the first in a series of Wiki Coffin mysteries set in the historical framework of the United States Exploring Expedition. The New Zealand author, Joan Druett, is primarily known for her non-fiction works on maritime subjects, and her familiarity with naval matters is evident. The major characters in the series are introduced: Wiki, George Rochester, Charles Wilkes, as well as the conflict between the various members of the Expedition. The whodunit is satisfyingly complex, but the real pleasure in reading A Watery Grave is the glimpse into the past and the world it portrays.

Wiki is a man between cultures, familiar with many, at home in none. He is heroic in the traditional sense – intelligent, brave, honorable, loyal. He is subject to blatant racial discrimination even as the reader knows he is in fact far superior to those who would discriminate against him.

Wilkes is an ineffectual commander whose manner threatens to undermine the order and stability of the Expedition. (In fact, there would be many problems over the course of the almost four years the Expedition was away.) The Expedition would return with much accomplished including maps of coastline previously uncharted and many scientific specimens. There is ample material for adventure on board in future books.

There’s sense of great excitement on the ships as the Expedition embarks for distant seas. There’s a similar feeling when reading this book launching this new historical mystery series. This promises to be a great trip!

--Lesley Dunlap